Cleveland will bring their nine game winning streak back into the Q on Thursday night for another match up with one Dwyane Wade. The last time these two teams met, the contest turned into the LeBron James-Wade show for much of the first half but Miami’s young star was shut down in the last 24 minutes.
Here’s what these two guys bring to the table for their respected squads:
Dwyane Wade, Shooting Guard
For the 24-25 Miami Heat, Dwyane Wade has either scored or assisted on just over 43 percent (751 of 1,746) of the team’s field goals this season. His 1,295 points are a team-best and the Marquette alum accounts for 27.87 percent of Miami’s points.
What does that mean?
-Well, just like you saw in the previous matchup, when Dwyane Wade goes cold, the Miami Heat get colder. If Cleveland can force someone else on the floor to score the basketball, the game will turn into one that is similar to the previous four Cavalier blowouts.
LeBron James, KING
LeBron James picked up his third consecutive Eastern Conference Player of the Month recognition on Wednesday evening and has led these Cavaliers to their league-best 39-11 record. Between tossing in buckets and dishing off assists, LeBron accounts for better than 48 percent of Cleveland’s field goals. The King’s 1,465 are amongst league leaders as he notches almost 29 percent of the Wine and Gold’s baskets.
What does that mean?
-LeBron has 409 assists on the season compared to Wade’s 297. When the King is dethroned for a short/long period of time, he has developed a pass-first mentality and his teammates have found a way to get open. LeBron normally delivers the knockout blow but the Cavs can knock down some shots. If Miami can find a way to slow LeBron down, the King will find his teammates for high percentage shots and the Cavs will ultimately win the game.
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I didn't say that Wade was not the third best player in the league. I completely agree that he is the third best player in the NBA. However, he is not quite on the same level as Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.
Kobe and LeBron have an undeniable ability to make everyone on their team better. As you've seen the last couple years, Dwyane Wade just isn't able to do that. There is no chance at all that Wade could have taken the Miami Heat to a championship without guys like Shaq and Zo.
Sorry to say it but LeBron did take a team of nobodys to the NBA Finals. Did he fold once he got there? Certainly. But he did take a very untalented team to the Finals. How can you honestly say guys like Drew Gooden, Donyell Marshall and Sasha Pavlovic are any better than the guys Wade has around him this year?
And for the record, the "Superstar vs. Half-a-Star" title is a reference to the Longest Yard. It wasn't meant to be taken literally. The body of my column did address the greatness of both guys. But I do stand by my first comment: LeBron > Wade.
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